Collapsible container



Oct. 18, 1932. R. L. COBB 1,883,577

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed March 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Get. 18, 1932- R. 1.. COBB 1,883,577

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Filed March 16, 195i 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 18,1932

UNITED STAT S;

, no! L. 00133, or SPENCER, Iowa oorLArsmLE oon'ramna Application filed March 16, mi. semi no. 522,985;

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for a box or a con-. tainer which is capableof being folded or. col' lapsed into compactcondition for storage or transportation, or for use at the grave.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a container having 'a unitary bottom portion, aunitary top portion and movable side walls capable of being compactedbetween and within'the top and bottom portions,

which are then capable of. forminga container of less height within which} the side walls are enclosed. l .1 w

Still another object of theinvention is:to

provide an improved construction .fora box or container comprising a unitary, relatively shallow bottom portion, having a peripheral flange at its upper margin, sidewallsmovably secured to the bottom portionand having at their lower marginsflanges adapted to; co operate with thefflanges of saidbottom portion and also formed'at their upper marglns' with peripheral flanges, there being. also provided a unitary top portion having a peripheral flange adapted tocooperate selectively. with the flanges vat the upper. margins'of theside walls orwith the flanges on the-bottom portion and thereby secured iii-either of said positions for .formingan enclosed container of either extended'or compactediform.

Another and further object of theinven tion is to provide improved details of con struction for a sheet metal container whereby a strong, durable and relatively inexpensive constructionis obtained, and whereby the container is capable of being easily and quickly altered from'its extendedto' a collapsed condition in which-it occupies a minimum space.

T .With these andother objects in view my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, wherebythe objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fullyset forth, pointed" out in claims, and

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which? 7 Figure 1 is aperspective viewillustrating the preferred form of my collapsible container in compacted position.

line; 66 of Figure7. v

Figure 7;is a sectionalview-of the same I Figure 2 is a perspective view showing one 1 end portion of this form of the container in 7 extended position.

' Figure 3 is a perspective view of an end portion of this form of the container in ex- -5 tended position with thecove'r removed and the end wall separated from-its normal posi tion. 1 l

"Figure 4 is a'c ross section of the compacted or collapsed container on the line 4-4 "of Q- Fi'gurel. i 1

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view ofa portion'of the cover member substantially on the line 5-65 of Figure 1. Figure 6 is-a detail plan view partly in 7. section, illustrating one method of forming a joint between two members and for pro viding a finished-construction at the corner, thispview being taken substantially on the elements'on-the'line ,7.-.7 of Figure 6."

Figure 8 is a detail section' onthe line" H I of: Figure 3, illustrating one method-of separably mounting an end w'all relative to a side wall-of thecontainer. p g

* j Figure 9 is'a perspective view of a friction two members together. 7 c

Figure 10 is across section of amodified form of the container in collapsed condition. Figure 11 is a cross section of thesamein extended position. V e Figure 12 is a longitudinal section of this form of the container on the line 1212 -of Figure 10 in collapsed condition.

. Figure 13 isa detail plan view, partly in section, illustrating a method of detachably securing side walls together at a corner of the container when extended. i I 9 Figure 14 is a sectional elevation illustrate .spring clip employed for removably securing ving the same type of fasteningmeans. 4

vashallow bott'om member or portion desige nated generally by the character 'A and it bottom wall 20 and a plurality of low side walls 22 and end walls 24 rising from the respective margins of the bottom wall20. Any suitable means may be employed for securing the low side walls 22 and end'walls 24v to the bottom wall 20. As here shown, the

. bottom wall 20 is formed at its longer'side margins with downwardly projecting rolls 26and the side walls 22 are formed with inwardly projecting rolls 28. The 'rolls28 are of such shape and formation as to be capable of snugly embracing and interengaging with the walls26, and these parts are assembled by relative longitudinal slidingmovement of the parts, whereby a strongand tight fitting joint is produced; I

The top or cover member B is formed ina similar. manner and is composed of a top wall 30 and lowfl-side walls 32 jandendwalls 34. The top wall 30 may be formed with a series of integral transverse ribs 36 for strengthening and reinforcing it. -The top wall 30 is formed at its longer side margins with up turned rolls 38 and the low side walls 32 are formed with inturned rolls 40 which embrace and snugly engage the rolls 38 by longitudinal sliding movement of the parts.

-. 71 have illustrated two different methods of attaching the low end walls 34 of -3tl1etop.

member 13 .tothe top wall 3Ofand similar methods niay b'e employed with-respect to the end'walls 24 of the bottom m'embenA.

-As shownparticularly in Figuresv land 2 and in the detail illustration ofF-igure' 5, the low end walls 34 ofthe 'cover member are formed with inturned rolls 42 which are 7 makes it impossible to assemble both the end wallsrand the sidewalls to the cover wall by longitudinal sliding movement. The cover Wall 30 is,,therefore, formed plain at its shorter-or end margins as illustrated in Figure 5 and is welded at such portions to the inner surface of the rolls .42.

In the construction according to Figures 6and7 the rolls 40 of the side walls and 42 of the end walls terminate at points spaced from the corner a sufficient distance to permit sliding movement ofeach or"; saidend walls withgrespect to the rolls or the top wall in the operation of assembly. The top wall is then formed not only with the rolls 38 on-its longerside margins, but also with other rolls 44v on its'shorter end walls,-the latter coop erating with the rolls 42 of the end walls 34.

When the assembly is completed according to this form of construction, each corner is covered and finished by mounting thereon a corner plate 46 of angular or curved formation for embracing the end portions of the side walls 32 and end walls 34 and having a rolled portion 48 embracing, the ends of the rolls 40 and 44 and covering the gap between them. The corner plates 46 may be attached to the other members by any suitable means,'-such as welding.

In thismanner a rigid structure is formed to constitute the unitary bottom portion A and the unitary top portion B of the container.

' The low walls 22 and 24 of the bottom portion A are provided at their upper margins with outturnedflanges 50, and in a similar manner the low walls 32' and 34 of the top member Bare formed at their lower margin with outturned flanges'52.,

A pair of side walls 54 are provided for the container and also a pair of'end walls 56.

The sidewalls 54 are hinged to the low side walls 22 of. the bottom member by means of hinges 58 so arrangedthat the walls 54 are adaptedto 'fold inwardly-toward the bottom .wall 20. The side walls 54 are formed at: their lower margins with outturned flanges 60:and at their upper margins with .outturned; flanges 62. The lower flanges 60 areadapted to reston the flanges 50'of'thebottom member when the device is extended and by such engagement they constitute stops .t li it Outward movement. ii.

of the walls 54 on their hinges and to assist in holding them in perpendicular relation :to the bottom wall '20.

Theend walls56 maybehingedly secured,

but as here shown they are entirely. separate and removable from the structure. They are formed at their lower margins with outturned flangesi64 and at their upper margins with outturned flanges 66.- 'The flanges 64 are adapted to rest at'times on the fla es 500i" the low end walls:24. d For forming a detachable connection for the-side walls 56 I have shown'headed studs 68 projecting inwardly fromflthe marginal portions of these members and adapter. to

engage in key hole slots 70 formed in out turned flanges 72 at the end margins of the side walls 54. This construction is shown particularly in Figure 8.

\Vhen it is desired to extend orexpand the container, the side walls 54 are raised to up rightposition, as shown in Figure 3, in which position their base flanges 6O are in contact with the flanges 50 of the bottom member A.

hen the end walls 56 are placed in position byinserting' the studs 68 through the enlarged upper portions of the keyhole slots 7 O and then sliding them downwardly until the base flanges 64 engage and rest on the flanges 50 of the bottom .mcmber. This 3 method of mounting the end walls 56 serves to hold-all of the containerwalls in upright position. i I

Thecover member then may be placed on the extended 19 container with its peripheral flange-52 engaging and resting on the upper i flanges 62 and 66-of the container walls.

lVhen it is desired'to collapsexor contract the container, the cover member is removed and then the end walls 56 are separated from their positions by upward and outward moveside walls 54 to lieside by side, and in such event it may be desirable to form notches such as 80 in their end flanges 7 2 to permit one side wall to nest somewhat withinthe other, as shown in Figure'4, for the purpose of conserving'spacer :The end walls 56 may also be mounted within the bottom member and then the cover member is mounted thereon with its peripheral flange 52 engaging the flanges at theupper margins of the low side walls 22 and end walls 24. This arrangement of the parts provides a relatively flat and shallow containerwithin which the movable side and end walls of the complete container are enclosed;

Any suitable means may be employed for holding the cover mem'ber-in position. As

here shown, I employ a'plurality ofchannel shaped spring clips 7 4, each having an apertured extension 76 by means of which it'is pivotally attached to the flange 52'.of the cover member. f, Eachfc'li'p also" has a lip 78 adapted to be'eng'age'd manuallyfor placing itin the desired position. Y I r f The clips 74 are arranged at suitable intervals around the flange of the cover member and they are adapted to moved 'to position for conjunctively engaging and embracing the flange 52 of the cover member and the flanges 50 or 6266 ofthe container. Similar spring clips 7 4 are'mounted on the base flanges and 64 of the walls for engaging the flanges 50 of the bottom member when the walls are extended, thusproviding means tion. I

In other words, the cover member 30 may beused selectively either with the complete or for'securelyholding the walls in such posi:

extended container or with the'shallow com-' pacted container. In either' position the peripheral flange 52 of'the covermember will engage andrest upon a coacting flange which in oneinstance would be the flange 5O surrounding the low' side and end walls ofthe compacted container, and in thewotherlin stance would be the; flanges62 -and 661at the tops of the extended walls. fIn either position the cover member may be detachably se- 58. toward cured in place by means of the spring clips 74 embracing conjunctivelythe engaging flanges above referred to.

I have thus provided a convenient andcomparatively inexpensive constrution for a col-f lapsible container which may be easily and quickly altered from one condition tothe other so as to be ready for use when extended,

or it may be made to occupy. comparatively little spacewhen not desired for use.

The container thus constructed is also sturdy and rigid and capable of enduring considerable hard usage because of the coopcrating. and reinforcing relation of the variousparts. n p One distinctive use for which this collapsible container is especially desirableis-for use as a casket box, to takethe place ofwoodenburial boxes :commonly used; in cemeteries, but of course it is'to understood that it is not limited to this particular method'of-use.

" The construction which is illustratediin Figures 10 to 15 inclusive embodies "the same general principles or features as those heretofore described, but there are various modifications in the methods employed for ,embodying these principles in concrete form.

In this 'form the bottom member is desig nated by. the character C andithetop'member by'the character D. e X

The bottom member comprises a bottom wall 82'and it is formed at its margins with a downturned flange 84". Rigidly' secured to the bottom wall82 are low sidewalls 86; and low endwalls'88." The walls 86' and 88 are .formedfat their lower margins with hook flanges 90 whichrengage and embrace: the

flanges 84 o'f-the bottom memberto form'a rigid joint and connection betw'eer'rthese parts. a

gins with downturned hook flanges 100,

v 1'0 5. 1 The top-member D'is formed with a plain .top wall 92 having a peripheral upturned flange 94. The top wall'92 is p'rovided'with which snugly engage the flanges 94 of the top wall to-form a rigid joint and connectionbe tween them.

Instead ofhaving integral outturnedflanges at their meeting edges, the walls of the bottom member G andtop member D may be pro vided with anglebars 102'and 104 respec} 'tively, the horizontal flanges of 'which are adapted to engage and coact at time's.

: The container constructed according to this embodiment. of my invention is provided with side walls 106 and end walls 108, which are hingedly connected to the corresponding walls of thebottom member C by means of hingesQ-llO-and 111 respectively. The side and at their upper margins'with angle bars -wal1s106' and end Walls 108 may be provided at their lower margins with angle bars 112 The bottom wall 82 may be provided with" channel'shaped reinforcing bars 116 on its lower surfaceand suitably secured thereto V Thewalls 106 may also be provided as by welding, and the top wall 92 may be provided with similar reinforcing bars 118 on its upper surface;

lVhen it is desired to'extend or expand the container for use the hinged side walls 106 and end walls 108 are swung upwardly on their hinges to positions where they form extensions of the low side walls :86 and end walls 88 of the bottom member, in which positions the outwardly projecting flanges of the angle bars 112 engage and contact with the outwardly projecting flanges of the angle bars 102; The hinged walls are held in er tended positionby any suitable means such as latches 102 pivoted at 122 on the inner faces of certain of the walls near their corners and adapted to engage in slotted openings 124 formed in the angle-bars 114 of others of thewalls. The'latches .120preferably are ith springs126 for holding them in" operative positions, the ends of these springsbeing held by pins 128 carried by the walls 108-on whichthe latches are pivoted.

, formed with projecting lugs 130. at their ends and at right angles thereto for engaging'behind or outside of the adjacent end portions of the walls 108,to provide further means for resisting outwardstrain-against thewalls. 7

.When the walls are extended and latched in such position-theecover member D may be put in place with its peripheral angle bars 104 engaging and restingonthe outwardly projecting portions of the angle bars 114 at the tops of the side walls.

When it is desired to collapse orcontract the container, the cover member D is removed andtheflatches 120 are released manually. Thereupon, the side walls 106 and endwalls 108 are folded inwardly on their hinges. In order that the several walls may be conveniently compacted Within the bottom member C, I prefer to provide some of the walls such as the side walls 106 with the extension hinges 110, having their aXes of articulation spaced below the upper margins of the walls vof'said bottom member and preferably at points variably spaced below said upper margins. This permitsone of the side walls 106 to be folded fiat against the bottom wall 82 and the other side wall tobe folded intoparallel 'relation and resting thereon as shown in Figure 10. The end walls 108 may then be folded in position to rest above. and parallel with the uppermost of the side walls.

WVhen the walls havethus been folded inwardly the cover member D may be placed in position with its peripheral angle bars 104 engaging and resting upon the horizontal portions-of the angle bars'102 ofthebottom member to form a compacted container within which the hinged side walls are completely enclosed.

For this form of the container I have shown in Figure 15 a different type of latching means carried by the cover member for securing it either to the extended or to the collapsed container. This means includes a latch member 132 pivoted at 134 on the upright part of the angle bar 104. The latch member 132 is adaptedto be moved through an opening 136 in the horizontal or outwardly projecting part of the angle bar 104 and through a registering opening 138 formed in the outwardly projecting part of a coacting angle bar such as the angle bar 102 of the bottom member. The latch member 132 is formed at its free end with a lip 140 adapted to engage beneath the flange 102 for bolding the cover member in place. It is to be i understood that a series of the latch members 132 are provided at suitably spaced intervals and that they are arranged to operat for holding the cover member detachably in place either on the angle bars 102 when the container is in collapsed position, or on the angle bars 114 when the container is in expanded position. c

Other latch members 132 may be mounted on the outwardly projecting portions or flanges of the bars 112 at the bottoms of the hinged walls for'movement through open ings 142 (dotted lines, Figure 10) and through the openings 1 38'in the angle bars 102whensaid hinged walls are in extended position. It is the function of the last-named latching members 132 to assist in holding the hinged walls rigidly in extended relation to the low walls of the bottom member G.-

Either form of the container constructed in accordance with my invention provides a convenient, durable and comparatively inexpensive means for carrying out the objects and accomplishing the purposes hereinbefore delineated e M It is to be understood that the flanges on either form of the box may be produced either by integral bends of the metal, or by attaching separate angle bars as shown and described. Also that either form of the box may be equipped with the sprin clips 74 or thevpivoted latch members such as 132.

Some changes may be made in the constructi on and arrangement of the parts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it my intention to cover byv my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be rea sonablyv included within their scope.

I claimcas' my invention 1. A collapsible container comprising a bottom member including a bottom wall and low walls rigidly secured thereto, said low walls being provided with outwardly proing flanges to each other.

jecting flanges at their upper margins, other walls movably arranged "relative to said low in collapsed condition or on the flanges at the topof said other side walls when the device is extended, and latching means for securing said engaging flanges to each other. 2. A collapsible container comprisinga bottom member including a bottom wall and low walls rigidly secured thereto, said low walls being provided with outwardlypro-v jecting flanges attheir upper margins, other walls movably arranged relative to said low walls and adapted to form "continuations thereof, said other walls being provided with outwardly projecting flanges at their lower margins adapted to engage and rest on the flanges of said low walls and also'being provided with outwardly projecting flangesat their upper margins, a cover member provided with an outwardly projecting flange adapted to engage and rest selectively on the I flanges of said low walls when the device is in collapsed condition or on the flanges at the top of said other side walls whenthe dev1ce is extended, and latching means carried by the flange of said cover member for engaging the coacting flanges and holding the cover member in either selected position.

3. A collapsible container comprising a bottom member including a bottom wall and low walls rigidly secured thereto, said low walls being provided with outwardly projecting flanges at their upper margins, other walls movably arranged relative to said low walls and adapted to form continuations thereof, said other walls being provided with outwardly projecting flanges 'at their lower margins adapted to engage and rest onthe flanges of said low walls and also being pro vided with outwardly projecting flanges at their upper margins, detachable means for ed to be collapsed within said bottom member or to be. extended to form an extended enclosure th'ereabove, said movable walls being .formed with outwardly pro ecting flanges at their upper margins, anda cover member formed with outwardly projecting peripheral flanges adapted to engage the flanges of said bottom member or those of said movable side [walls when extended, whereby the cover member may be used .as a closure either for the collapsed or the extended container.

5. A collapsible container comprising a bottom member of shallow box-like formation and formed with outwardly projecting peripheral flanges, movable side walls adapted to be collapsed within said bottom member or to be extended to form an extended enclosure thereabove, said movable walls being formed with outwardly projecting flanges at their upper margins, and a cover member formed with outwardly projecting peripheral flanges adapted to engage the flanges of said bottom member or those of said 'movable side walls when extended, whereby the cover member may be used as a closure either'for the coaoting flanges and holding the cover member in place.

6. A collapsible container comprising a bottom member of shallow box-like formation, provided with outwardy projecting flanges, side wallshingedly connected to said bottom member and adapted to be folded therein, said side walls being provided withoutwardly projecting flanges, means for securing adjacent edges of said walls together when in extended position to form a box of considerably greaterdepth thanthe bottom member, and a cover member, adapted to be mounted either on the flanges of said bottom member when the side walls-are collapsed, or on the flanges of said side walls when extended, and latching means for engaging the flanges of said members for securing the cover member in either of said positions.

ROY L. COBB. V,

securing end portions of said last mentioned f walls together when they are in extended position, a oovermember provided with an outwardly projecting flange adapted to engage and rest selectively on the flanges of said low walls when the device is in collapsed condition or on the flanges at the topof said other side walls when the device is extended,

and latching means for securing said engag- 4. A collapsible container comprising a s bottom member of shallow box-like formation and formed withoutwardly projecting peripheral flanges, movable side walls adaptthe collapsed or the extended container, to-- I gether with pivoted latching means on the flanges of said cover member for engaging 

